


Out of the shadows and into the light

by spacemanearthgirl



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Bit of angst but not really, F/F, Fluff, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, SuperCorp, mentions of Sanvers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-20
Updated: 2018-04-20
Packaged: 2019-04-25 09:48:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14376228
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spacemanearthgirl/pseuds/spacemanearthgirl
Summary: Soulmates au where you have a black mark on your skin that turns to colour where/when your soulmate touches you for the first time.





	Out of the shadows and into the light

**Author's Note:**

> I got the idea from [this post](http://spaceman-earthgirl.tumblr.com/post/173104025993/claroquequiza-zaiyofics) I saw on tumblr.

“I have some big news.”

Lena looks up from her desk, smiling as her eyes settle on Kara. She’s still not used to this, Kara just dropping by to see her, not used to having a friend who willingly seeks her out when she wants to see her.

“News?” Lena stands and rounds her desk, noticing just how excited about whatever the news is as she gets closer to her. Kara’s practically vibrating with excitement, so much excitement that Lena’s not entirely sure what to do with it.

Kara nods, smile wide. “I was going to get you to guess but I’m too excited to wait. Alex found her soulmate!”

Lena’s cheek seems to burn as the word ‘soulmate’ is mentioned but she pushes that thought away, pushes her own feelings on the subject down to be happy for Kara, to be happy for Kara’s sister.

“That’s great! I’m so happy for her.” Lena’s surprised that she actually means the words, her own soulmate experience not enough to dampen her feelings for Kara and by extension, her family. She remembers seeing the black stain on Alex’s hand the first time they met, the one similar to so many people’s as handshakes are a common first touch for soulmates.

Lena wishes hers was that simple.

“Who is it?”

Kara is absolutely beaming. “Her name’s Maggie Sawyer and she’s a detective, they met at a crime scene recently. Honestly, they’re perfect for each other.”

Lena smiles. “Well, tell her I said congratulations.”

“You can tell her that yourself.”

That gets Lena’s attention. “What?”

“We’re all going out for drinks tonight to celebrate and I’m inviting you too.”

“I…who’s going?”

“Alex and Maggie of course, and then just James and Winn. And hopefully you too.”

Lena has heard all about Kara’s other friends, but she hasn’t actually spent much time with them. She’s met Winn once, James a few times and she knows he’s not too fond of her thanks to her last name, and she’s only met Alex herself twice.

So she’s not entirely sure why Kara wants her to go too.

“I wouldn’t want to intrude-“

“It’s nothing big,” Kara cuts in, she must be able to see the rejection coming in Lena’s words.” Just a small get together.” Kara pauses, chews at her bottom lip. “You don’t have to come if you don’t want to but I’d really like you there. Plus, it’d be a great way for my friends to get to know you so they can see how great you are too.”

How on earth is Lena supposed to say no to that hopeful smile? Well, she supposes she can do this for Kara.

“Thank you, I’d love to come.”

xxx

Lena has to admit that Alex looks happy. She wonders what that must be like, to have found the person you’re going to spend the rest of your life with, someone who you’re destined to be with, who will love you unconditionally and you’ll love in return. She wants to ask, and it is actually an excellent time to bring it up, but Lena doesn’t want to put attention on herself, doesn’t want questions about her own soulmate to be brought up.

They can all see the black mark across her cheek, they all know how and where her soulmate is first going to touch her.

She can see the swirls of colour across Alex and Maggie’s hands as they sit opposite her at the table at the bar, the way the colours seem to dance in the light. She can see the dark mark across James’s forearm and the one across Winn’s palm, both of them yet to meet their own soulmates. She can’t see Kara’s mark though, wonders where it is that it’s hidden by clothing.

Lena wishes she were that lucky, there’s nothing that can cover her mark. When she was younger she’d tried all sorts of makeup, anything she could think of to cover it. Now she just leaves it bare for the whole world to see, given up trying to hide that part of her since most people have seen it anyway. She’s not the only person who has a mark on their face, a lot of people do. But with its placement and her last name, it’s easy to guess why the mark is there.

 “Hey, are you okay? You’ve seemed a bit quiet tonight?”

Lena looks to Kara beside her, surprised she’s picked up that something’s wrong. Well, wrong isn’t the right word. Despite the reason for gathering this evening and the bad thoughts and memories it brings up, Lena has found herself enjoying getting to know the others around the table, has found herself relaxing in Kara’s presence and the warm welcoming she’s received from her friends.

Except there’s still that niggling voice in the back of her mind, the one that appears whenever she looks over and is reminded that soulmates exist, it’s the same one that pops up every morning when she looks in the mirror.

It’s the several drinks she’s downed over the course of the evening the makes her answer truthfully, the words spilling out of her without her consent. “I wonder sometimes, about this.” She gestures to her face. “What kind of soulmate am I going to have if our first contact is them slapping me in the face?”

Kara lets out a puff of air that sounds suspiciously like a laugh. She’s not entirely sure what’s so funny but she doesn’t like the idea of Kara laughing at her. “Lena, you don’t know that that’s a slap. It could be just someone holding their hand to your cheek.”

It’s Lena’s turn to laugh. “Of course it’s a slap, or at least that’s what my mother used to tell me.”

“What?” Kara sounds shocked.

Again, the alcohol has her speaking more honestly than she usually would. She just hopes the others around the table aren’t listening. “Whenever I did anything wrong, mother used to tell me she was sure I deserved it, that whoever slapped me was probably right to do so.”

After her mother had said that, had put the idea in her head, it made sense it was a slap mark on her face, she is a Luthor after all. But what does it say about her, that she’s going to love someone who is violent towards her. If her first contact with her soulmate is a slap, then she doesn’t want to meet them.

“Lena.” She hates the pity she can hear in Kara’s voice. Except a look at Kara’s face tells her that maybe it’s not pity she can see, Kara just looks sad. And hurt. Like for whatever reason what her mother used to say hurts Kara too. “I don’t think that’s a slap mark. And if it is, your soulmate or not, they’re going to be sorry.”

Lena drops her head down at the strength in Kara’s words, the warmth swelling in her chest at the thought that she has someone out there who is looking out for her. Kara’s her only friend and it’s new but it’s wonderful and she hopes she can hold onto it for as long as possible. Which means she needs to stop talking right now, needs to stop Kara from seeing too much of her past, too much of her true self, she doesn’t want to scare her away.

“I mean it,” Kara says, the strength again in her voice that almost makes Lena want to believe her. Kara slips her hand across Lena's cheek to tilt her head back up, warmth blooming at the contact. “I’m not going to let anyone-“ she cuts herself off, her eyes going wide.

“Kara?”

Kara’s hand falls as her mouth drops open. Lena’s eyes go to others at the table, maybe they know what’s caused Kara’s sudden change in behaviour. Except they’re all staring at her too, a mix of surprise and happiness across their faces, which is definitely a change from the anger and hostility she’s usually stared at with.

But that doesn’t help so she turns back to Kara to find her staring at her own hand now instead. Lena looks at her hand too but finds nothing out of the ordinary, clearly Kara sees something she doesn’t.

“Kara?” she tries again.

“You…” Kara trails off, her hand rising to brush Lena’s cheek once more, this time using her fingertips to gently brush over the skin.

Lena feels the touch like fire across her skin.

And then something clicks in her brain and things start to make a bit more sense. Kind of. Clearly they’re still on the topic of her soulmark but why is she suddenly acting weird about it.

Lena turns to the rest of the group for help only to find Alex sliding her phone across the table. “Here, look.”

Lena picks up the phone with confusion, things are making less and less sense.

The camera app is open and Lena is surprised to see her see her own face reflected back on the screen.

Except.

Oh.

That’s…her skin, her cheek…there’s, that’s…colour.

_How?_

Lena looks at Kara’s hand, sees nothing to indicate she’s touched her soulmate but no one else has touched her face since the last time she saw it, and the black had been there plain as day. Lena is extra aware of everyone with their marks on their palms, any one of them could be potential soulmates, be people who could potentially slap her (made extra nerve wracking by the sheer number of people who’s soulmarks are on their hands) but Kara is the only one who has touched her face, who has touched her in a long time.

“Kara?” It’s the third time she’s said her name but this one definitely holds the most confusion.

“It’s you.” Kara’s hand is warm against her cheek again and Lena can’t help but lean into the contact.

Lena slides her own hand over Kara’s, to hold it there, in case the next question ruins everything. “But how? There’s no colour on you.”

Kara’s gaze drops and Lena’s own eyes fall to the nervous way she’s chewing on her bottom lip. “I guess there’s something I should tell you. I’m not exactly from here.” She looks back up at Lena. “I’m from Krypton.”

It’s like everything slots together in Lena’s mind the moment she hears the words. The glasses, the pony tail, those blue eyes and her unwavering belief. How had she not seen this before? The words ‘I flew here on a bus’ suddenly make a lot more sense.

“Is that a problem?”

Lena smiles as the reality of everything catches with her. This is real, Kara is actually her soulmate. She’d wished it were so in their first meeting, her hopes dashed when she saw Kara’s blank hand (plus figured Kara wasn’t exactly the type to go around hitting people expect it seems like maybe she actually is) but now it isn’t just a hope, it’s real, Kara is actually her soulmate and being an alien changes nothing, it just explains why Kara doesn’t have a mark of her own.

“Of course not.”

Kara’s relief is almost palpable as she seems to deflate before Lena’s eyes and her head falls forward to rest gently against Lena’s. “I hoped it was you.”

Lena chokes on her breath and tears spring to her eyes. “Me too.”

Kara lets out a watery laugh. “At least we know now that I was right, your soulmark wasn’t a slap.”

Lena can’t help but laugh too.

“I guess we’re celebrating something else tonight then.”

The words startle Lena, she’d forgotten they weren’t alone as she turns to the rest of the group. Her eyes fall to Alex and Maggie’s twined hands where they rest on the table, the colours evident around the edges, the same colours that Lena knows swirl across her cheek now.

“I guess we are,” Kara says, knocking her shoulder gently against hers. Lena reaches over and threads her own fingers through Kara’s with a smile.

“Welcome to the family,” Alex says, holding out her beer towards her and Lena grabs her own drink and clinks it against Alex’s before she does the same with everyone else.

Family. It’s something that Lena has had all her life but it’s never been like this, she’s never felt this warm and welcomed and loved before. But now with Kara, with her _soulmate_ , it seems like things are finally changing for the better and she’ll get the family she always hoped she’d have.

She can’t wait to tell her mother that she was wrong, it wasn’t a slap, and that she’s found someone who will treat her right and love her for her. She also can’t wait to tell Lillian that that person is Supergirl.

**Author's Note:**

> Thoughts? Maybe send help because I can't stop writing supercorp.
> 
> Tumblr: spaceman-earthgirl


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